Author's Note: Hello readers. Welcome to the new chapter one of Stardust. This may look but for those not in the know the reason this hadn't been updated in so long was due to the fact I was re-writing the chapters for both Stardust and my crossover Shades of Pink. With this I hope the story will look and read better. Remember this is a story for my RWBY OC and is AU meaning it's not part of the canon Remnant. I hope you like this. Reviews welcome. I do not own RWBY in any, way shape, or form. My OC's are my design.

Stardust

Chapter 1

Meetings

Remnant.

A world forged by legends; some real and some made up. A world where the moon falls apart and comes back together as common as its phases. A place where those who dwell in the dark will strike down the people living in the light. A light that gifts its people with life, ingenuity, and many other things.

There is a gift birthed from both light and darkness that is around even now, and it is the wrath of nature. This power isn't exclusive to one side or the other. For when one side can make use of power, the other side can just as much or maybe even more than the other.

17 Years Ago...

In the kingdom of Stronghold there was a city called New Citadel. This city was to be a new settlement in the kingdom to replace the town of Citadel which fell two decades ago. Given the city's status currently it seems that that plan has followed the way of its predecessor.

Around the city many buildings were on fire. All ranged from houses to skyscrapers; sending plumes of black smoke into the sky. Cars laid overturn, some damaged and many destroyed altogether. As for the people, there were some survivors at least.

"Did you get the remaining civilians out?" There was a man wearing an army uniform; the accessory on his jacket marking him as a general. The medal shone bright in the evening light. Protruding from his forehead was a set of white deer antlers. He was a Faunas; one of the two dominant races on Remnant also known for having animal features.

The soldier standing before him, a female human, saluted him, "Yes sir!" She handed the General a slim metal device. He pushed a button on the front of the device observing as it extended itself horizontally. It revealed a clear rectangle bordered by the two halves and two twin lines of metal on the top and bottom. This was a device called a Scroll.

The General watched as many images, words, and other data appeared on screen. The soldier continued, "All threats have been neutralized and the city is being secured." The General nodded, "And what of our outpost nearby? Do we have anything from them?"

The soldier took a breath hesitating, then answered, "The outpost has been destroyed, sir." The General looked up sharply, his eyes almost piercing. The soldier went on with her report, "We sent a few scouts to investigate and the outpost has been horrifically damaged. All the personnel are gone as well."

He let out a huff, "That explains how things are so bad here... Those things served as the vanguard and when we didn't send aid, in came the Grimm." Pausing for a moment he asked, "Do we know what those…things...are?"

The soldier quickly replied, "No, sir."

The General shook his head, turned back to the scroll, and pulled up the survivors list. He raised an eyebrow as he spoke aloud, "With this much damage I actually expected less survivors."

The soldier had a reply ready to this. "That would be the work of the Huntress, sir."

The General looked at the soldier again, "A Huntress? Here?"

The soldier nodded. "Yes, only one. It was thanks to her those civilians managed half as well as they did."

He shook his head, "Only one Huntress in this mess? I don't know what to call that; miraculous luck or just bad luck? Maybe... Where is she now?"

"She's gone, sir. As soon as we had the civilians in hand she seemed to just vanish."

He looked at the female soldier with puzzled expression, "Do we have a name or ID number or anything?"

"I'm afraid not, sir. We were only able to get a rough description of her appearance and fighting capabilities." The soldier put a strange expression on her face, "but it seems the survivors have come up with a nickname for her."

The General, his attention on the scroll, said vaguely "That being…?"

"The Guardian Ghost, sir."

Meanwhile, on the far side of the city, atop one of the skyscrapers left somewhat intact a woman stood. Her long hair blowing in the wind as she sighed, "I didn't think he'd be moving so fast. Guess it's time for me to move too."

She gently placed her hand on her belly. It had yet to completely form, but she knew that life would soon be there thanks to a talent that was a part of her being.

"I really shouldn't have been so reckless." She admitted with a strange tone to her voice.

She sighed and, with a sad air about her, turned and walked over to a metal box with a door for a lid. A locker that stood on the rooftop with her. Taking out a smaller version of a scroll she quickly tapped on it, placing it in the locker.

She shut the door tapping a few times on the number panel that was built into the locker's door. She watched as rockets, or all things, propelled the locker into the sky. With a sad smile on her face, she took a breath turning towards the horizon. She made a short hop and somehow sank through the roof beneath her feet and out of sight.

The locker headed onwards on its journey with only three things inside: a round shield, a war hammer, and the scroll she had been tapping on before. On its screen, was a message in bold black letters, the most notable word being "Sorry".

Now...

In times past, before the founding of the kingdoms; before the humans and faunas banded together to fight the Grimm, life had been difficult. Just as difficult as it is in the lands outside the kingdoms. Making life in places like this wasn't impossible. Even in these modern times, it was normal and many who disliked life inside the kingdoms would venture out into these lands.

The world is now closing in on those who call these lands outside the kingdoms home. Life goes on with people finding comfort in each other and other things.

"Dust is of the world. Dust is. Dust is what will ever be. We praise you Absence. We, your humble servants, beseech you…"

In a wasteland outside the kingdom of Stronghold these words are being chanted in unison released into the air.

The voices were coming from a group of tents with wagons and few animals, such as horses.

They were all grouped together gathered in the center of their camp, sitting on the ground. It was a nomadic group which appeared to be praying, or most of them were.

A lone figure strode down a sand dune a look of disgust on his face as he moved. "Must they do that so early in the day? It's bad enough they do it every evening."

The seventeen year old boy shook his head. He had fair skin with brilliant blue hair, his bangs styled going down the left side of his face. He had vibrant orange eyes that seemed to have a translucent quality to them. The boy was dressed in black cloth boots, plain blue jeans with a leather belt, and a gray long sleeve sweater. All looked worn and showed some signs of self-repair. The leather satchel that was slung over his shoulder seemed a little newer than the rest of what he wore.

The young man raised his right hand scratching his head. On his right hand there was a star shaped tattoo with a line protruding from a spot between two of the five points. The line followed from the points on the star went up his arm and spiraled around his forearm before tapering out. The tattoo was the same color as his name.

"Don't let them get to you, Cerise. Today's your special day," he said to himself. Cerise kept walking and soon saw his destination in sight. There were ruins of a village and to those outside the kingdoms; it was something of a meeting place for Traders and information. Even from a distance, he could see signs of activity.

"Guess we lucked out when Uncle said to come here this time around." Cerise said lowly to himself wincing at the thought of the man he'd have to see again later.

I really can't forget those problems for a second, can I? Cerise thought to himself.

Still... Even though Uncle asked me to do this, I wonder if it really was the right thing to do. I mean, I wanted to come if only for the chance to see that person again. But Alice… Cerise's train of thought broke off when he felt his spine shiver and the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

He was being watched.

The teen stopped short and looked around and then, he heard it. A low growling noise. Cerise ducked as a black, white, and red blur shot overhead and landed in the dirt across from him.

He watched as his attacker turned around facing him again. Snarling and growling, it stared at him with burning red eyes.

Cerise sighed, "This is SO how I wanted to spend my morning. Dealing with a Grimm."

The creatures of Grimm have been one, if not, the greatest threat Remnant has ever known. They exist in large numbers all across the planet and came up in a variety of shapes, many known and unknown. Arguably, one might call them the manifestation of darkness itself.

Cerise reached for an object that was tucked into his belt. He pulled out what appeared to be a carved wooden stick and with a snap! the object, it unfolded revealing itself to be a fan. Its inner color a royal purple.

Staring down the Grimm, a type commonly called a Beowolf for its similarity to werewolves known from past stories, he grit his teeth. There were large protruding white claws on all its paws, limbs, and spine, as well as the bony mask which had red markings that resided on its face.

As the Beowolf jumped toward him Cerise fell to the dirt rolling under it. The two somewhat faced each other again, This encounter's my own fault. Grimm are attracted to negativity and what are my thoughts lately if not negative?

Taking the fan in his right hand his body began to glow the same color as his tattoo. Cerise made swiped from left to right unleashing a crescent shaped wave of energy the same color as his glow. He made another swiping motion going from lower right to upper left making another one. Cerise's attacks were brought forth from his aura, the manifestation of his spirit and all that it entailed.

The first wave missed as the Beowolf dodged it, but Cerise had expected it. As the second wave struck its target, it yelped as it was cut in half. The Beowolf's body hit the dirt, its form cut in half at the waistline. Looking at the form which was already evaporating into little dark puffs, Cerise said, "A young one. I wonder if there's a whole pack nearby." Looking towards the ruins Cerise began to walk once more catching his breath. Using aura to fight did have a price to pay after all.

Meanwhile, not far away, was a man who had watched Cerise fight with some measure of amusement. "Not bad kid. It wasn't exactly elegant, but it works. I guess." The man looked back over his shoulder towards the remains of the Beowolf pack he had just finished off making sure they were disappearing. Being as stealthy as possible he followed after Cerise.

About half an hour later, Cerise had reached the ruins and was pleased to note that a small group of nomads were still out and about here. Strolling through the area Cerise took care to steer clear of dark robed figures. It took a bit of doing, but Cerise found what he had been sent here by his Uncle to find. A soft blanket of all things, Cerise smiled as he held the thing. It was a nice item, orange in color, and almost ridiculously soft in texture.

I wonder what Uncle wants this for, Cerise wondered. His face darkened as he scowled, I really hope it's not for his cult nonsense. This would be such a waste to use for something like that. The boy shook his head and blew his hair out of his eyes. Forget that nonsense, Cerise. He told himself, I left that nonsense behind at camp. Now where's-

Suddenly, angry shouts from nearby broke his musings as he turned in that direction.

"Infidel!"

"Your actions offend the great one!"

"Stop hurting the servants of the Absence!"

"Leave now!"

"Begone heretic!"

Cerise's shoulders drooped and his eyes half closed. He knew he just found what he had been looking for and what he had wanted to avoid. Walking through the ruins quickly, he reached the source of the noises and took cover. He peered carefully around a corner confirming both his suspicions.

The dark robed figures Cerise had spent his time avoiding were clustered together waving fists and a few weapons around. They continued shouting at a small man before them who was cowering on the ground. In front of the man was a blanket with some objects laid on it and there were a few boxes by him.

Cerise let out a breath as he wondered how to help the man. As he stared at the man's attackers, Cerise thought, It's not like I can just attack them. Word will somehow reach Uncle and then I'll be in trouble. But it's not like I can just abandon him either…

Cerise stared at the situation, deciding whether to help. As he sat there contemplating, a memory of a female voice echoed in his mind. Huntsman and Huntresses protect the people, Cerise…

That's right, they do Mom, Cerise smiled taking out his fan. "Let's go to work, Open Star."

Looking at the scene once more, a thought occurred to him as he continued to smile. Although it was strained a bit, Cerise thought, The trick to this will be not setting off his wares…

His tattoo began to glow as he raised his fan and swiped it, sending a shot of energy towards the group. He aimed downward to where it struck the ground with a mild burst sending dirt and dust into the air. Cerise did this twice more, sending the miniature mob into a slight panic. As for their victim, he was frozen in terror at the sudden events.

While the dust cloud was in the air Cerise closed his fan and pointed it towards the cloud. His eyes narrowed and took a breath as he activated his Semblance.

Semblance, a talent a person has. It's part of who they are and what's fueled by aura. The types of Semblances can vary greatly.

His Semblance was something known as a Glyph which takes the form of a ring of light with gaps in it that form symbols and lines. One could do many things with them. They could even change them to get different results, or so Cerise has been told. He didn't have much experience with that yet. Glyphs weren't exactly common, but they weren't rare either.

Cerise took the form of a basic ring with a four holes placed along the top, bottom, left, and right sides. They were shaped like a shooting star. Hence why Cerise called it his personal symbol.

The glyph spun into existence amidst the mob and telekinetically knocked people around spinning out of sight. With a flick of Open Star, another one spun into existence and repeated the pattern. Cerise did it five times in total, but by then the mob was screaming and running away.

"The Absence is here to punish us all!" The group of people yelled as they ran away. Cerise huffed as the dust settled and his tattoos glow died down.

Leaving his hiding spot, Cerise smiled as walked over to the figure that was still frozen in fear. Although he didn't know it, the man from earlier was watching with a smile, "That's…better. I guess. So, you're a glyph user?"

Tucking Open Star away Cerise said to the man he had just rescued, "Are you alright, sir?" His voice knocked the man from his slight trance. The figure flinched as he jumped. Cerise winced a little at that as he reassured the poor fellow, "It's okay. I won't hurt you."

The man paused and looked at Cerise who smiled at him and let out a breath, "Sorry about that."

"It's fine," Cerise answered. He repeated his question, "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay." The man looked over what was on the blanket with a slight grimace seeing all the dirt. "I'm just not sure what happened there, though."

Cerise seeing the dirt now too, laughed a little, "Yeah… sorry about that." The man looked at Cerise with a confused look. Almost as if to say 'why would you be sorry'. He wondered and then caught a glimpse of the tattoo, realizing that it looked familiar. The answer dawned on him.

"Why if it isn't little, Cerise!" The man said happily with a smile. "I haven't seen you in such a long time! You've turned into a fine young man!"

Cerise stared at him plainly, surprised before he chuckled, "Thank you, sir! I'm surprised you remember me. We only met once after all."

"Well, you visiting on your birthday with your mother was one my happier memories here," The man said with a grin. The man's face showed a caring expression, "Now that I think about... You're birthday's today, isn't it? And your Semblance is…"

The man gave an even wider grin, "It's you I have to thank for the rescue isn't it?"

Cerise laughed lightly, "I'm impressed, sir. You do have a good memory and no thanks are necessary. I was happy to help."

The man nodded with a slight frown as Cerise asked, "Are your wares okay?"

The man looked over the blanket and his boxes, "Everything's fine; just jostled and dirty."

Cerise let out a breath, "That's good. I was worried my aura usage would have set them off."

The man's main item that he had for sell or trade was Dust. Dust is a natural energy propellant that comes in four basic types. Much could be done with it like creating new types of Dust; it could even be used in a variety of ways. To trigger Dust's activation all one person, be it human or faunas, had to do was use aura. Hence the reason Cerise was so nervous.

The man turned Cerise and asked, "By the way, is your mother here with you?" Cerise frowned and shook his head. The man frowned at his response, "Is she dead?"

Cerise shrugged, "Just gone."

The man sighed, "I'm sorry."

Cerise replied with a shrug of his shoulders, "It is what it is."

"So did you want to get some Dust from me?" The man looked questioningly at him. Cerise nodded listing off what he was looking for and the amounts he wanted. The man put on a disbelieving tone "Seriously? Why so little?"

Cerise frowned at the question and couldn't help looking in the direction the robed figures had fled. That was all the answers the man needed. "A lot of Shards in your group?"

"Nearly every adult," he sighed confirming the thought. "And my Uncle is one of the preachers."

The man winced at that, "Small portions to keep hidden. Understood." As the man readied Cerise's order he asked, "Those Shards are getting confrontational lately. Aren't they?"

Cerise nodded, "Yeah. They certainly are quite forward about their beliefs and actions. They seem to be in the majority with the human and faunas population out here."

"I know," the man sighed. "Life's difficult enough out here. As it is, with the way things are going, I may head for a kingdom myself. Regardless of how much I dislike things there."

The man held up Cerise's order, handing him several items. Cerise gave the man whatever Lien he had scraped up, "I'd do that myself if I could."

The man observed Cerise as he hid the small parcels on him. The merchant man sighed then perked up a bit as a thought hit him. He quickly dug through one of his boxes and as Cerise turned to leave the man called, "Wait! Here, Cerise!"

The blue haired teen turned back to the merchant and caught what was thrown towards him. It was a clear red stone that was roughly cut. A Dust Burn crystal to be exact. A wide grin on his face, Cerise looked at the man in excitement, "Sir, are you sure about this?"

The man nodded, "Consider it a birthday and a thank you gift."

With a bright smile Cerise waved and said, "Thank you!" Cerise turned tucking the crystal away as he began to walk away from the Merchant.

Sometime later, as day turned into evening, Cerise began to head back to camp. As the sky darkened and the stars began to sparkle, he looked at the moon which had begun to slowly fall apart. Seeing his camp in the distance, there was an orange glow. Cerise sighed reaching into his satchel bringing out a small mirror. He was about to signal his camp so they knew he was the one approaching when he felt eyes on him once again.

Cerise pulled Open Star from its hiding place without hesitation, looking at the area that surrounded him. It was a clear night with every inch of the wasteland lit up by the moon and nothing seemed suspicious. He didn't hear any noises like a growl or a shriek. Nothing that anyone would worry over.

Suddenly, he heard thumping footsteps. Cerise turned and ducked just in time. As Cerise stood facing his latest attacker. He groaned lightly realizing what he was facing.

The creature before him was mostly composed of raw energy and a few physical elements linking it together, giving it some kind of form. It somewhat resembled a lizard and was roughly the size of the Beowulf he had faced earlier today. Rocks made up its face, tail, waist, and claws. Beings like these were called Animate, or Anim for short. They seemed to be composed if inanimate things. They were also the reason Cerise had to deal with those robed figures from earlier in the first place.

Cerise summoned his glyph as the thing began to encircle him. Cerise tracked its movements. Opening Open Star, Cerise made his whole form and glyph glow with his aura. It began to shrink down while Cerise stuck his hand, and Open Star, into the empty center. His aura began to converge on his hand, and with a humming sound his hand and fan became encased in his aura. It elongated down into the air forming a makeshift blade.

Cerise swung at the Anim-lizard as it charged. The creature dodged the attack swiping at him. Cerise raised his left arm as his aura covered it, creating a scraping sound as the claws went over it.

Aura being used to attack and activate Semblances and Dust could also be used to defend like a force field. Cerise used the advantage of the blocked attack and the proximity it created, swinging at the Anim-lizard. He only got the creature's tail which split in two as a piece fell on the ground. The Anim-lizard trotted away and went back to staring at him.

Cerise stared at his foe's twitching tail the creature seemingly unconcerned. He thought fast concerned about attracting others or, possibly, a Grimm's attention. In an instant he came up with an idea. Cerise waited for the thing to charge and, soon enough, it leapt at him. He called a glyph forth once more.

The ring appeared between the two of them as the Anim jumped right into the center of it. It stopped suspended in midair held by nothing. His eyes wide along with his senses felt another energy interacting with his aura. Almost pushing against it. The sensation felt disgusting.

Cerise shook his head charging at the creature, swinging his blade as he hit the oval that made up the creatures waist. Cerise gritted his teeth as he felt the energy he was picking up on intensify. As the blade cleaved right through the stone, Cerise gasped as he felt the energy vanish like a light going out.

As he came to a stop, his glyph disappeared. Cerise watched in confusion, though he was relieved, as the stones hit the dirt. "That was weird," Cerise said aloud, "and lucky I guess?"

"Maybe," The boy tensed as a male voice spoke from behind him, "but that's how these fights go sometimes kid." Cerise spun around sharply, more than ready to swing his blade. He stopped short seeing a bladed weapon a few inches from his own nose.